Distributer.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

J. H. FULTON DISTRIBUTER.

APPLICATION FILED 001111904.

UNITED STATES PATE T ornron.

DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed October 12,1904. Serial No. 228,225.

To [bl/Z whom it 717/662] canoe-r 2 Be it known that I, JosnrH H. FULTON, a

citizen of the United States, residing at West Lebanon, in the county of Indiana and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Distributers, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to a distributing vessel having two or more compartments for holding salt, pepper, sugar, flour, &c., and especially to a vessel of this kind designed as a salt and pepper holder, from which either of these materials or condiments may be shaken at will.

The invention has for its object, first, to provide a receptacle of this character having a valve or cut-off so operating as to normally close one compartment to prevent the discharge of the contents thereof while uncovering or opening the other compartment to permit the contents of the latter to be discharged and adapted to be operated to open the first and close the latter named compartments; second, to provide a valve or cut-off of this character which is simple in construction and eiticient in operation; third, to provide a novel means of connecting and holding in assembled relation two or more containers orreceptacles which are adapted to be detached for filling purposes; fourth, to provide an improved construction of closure for the independent containers or receptacles upon which the said valve or cut-ofl' is operatively mounted, and, fifth, to provide a valve and closure which is equally well adapted for use in connection with independent containers as a receptacle in which the independent compartments are formed by a partition, the latter forming a unitary structure.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists of the features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a distributer or condiment-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4c is a detail top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the valve or cut-01f and the head-plate, the valve being partially broken away to expose the arrangement of its controlling-spring.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the improved holder or receptacle, which in the form shown comprises two independent vessels or containers 2 and 3, formed with externallyscrew-threaded necks 4 and 5, respectively. The vessels or receptacles 2 and 3 are detachably connected by a spring-band 6, which conforms in contour thereto and which holds the receptacle 3 seated in a longitudinal groove 7, formed in the side of the receptacle 2. The receptacle 3 is preferably slightly tapered throughout its length from its base upward, so that it may be inserted from below into the groove 7, and its tapering form will cause it to draw the band 6 closely about the receptacle 2, and thus hold the two receptacles closely connected when the said receptacle 3 is fully seated in the groove 7 and its bottom portion alines with the bottom portion of the receptacle 2. The band 6 is held from vertical movement and displacement on the vessel 2 by studs or projections 8, formed on said vessel and which contact with the upper and lower edges of said band, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. As stated, the band 6 is a springband, or in practice has sufficient resiliency to enable it to be compressed about the receptacle 2 to extend that portion thereof which embraces the receptacle 3, thus allowing the latter when the band is so compressed to be withdrawn from engagement with the groove 7 to separate or disconnect the two receptacles 2 and 3. If desired, however, the holder may be formed of a single vessel having a central vertical partition to form two compartments or reservoirs to contain the salt and pepper or other materials or condiments to be stored for table or kitchen use. holder or vessel is so constructed, the bottom portions of the two compartments may be provided, if desired, with filling-apertures having suitable closures, so that the neckclosure of the vessel, of which one form is hereinafter described, may be rigidly or detachably mounted upon the neck, if desired.

The neck portions 4 and 5 of the two receptacles 2 and 3 are closed by a head or cover plate 9, which is provided above the respective receptacles with outlets 10 and 11, through which the contents of the receptacles may be independently shaken or discharged. shown, this head or cover plate is provided with annular depending flanges 12 and 13, which are threaded to engage the, external screw-threads of the necks 4: and 5, and thus form, with the superposed portions of the head or plate 9, caps to close the said recep- When thetacles, which caps are joined or connected by an intermediate portion of the plate 9, which serves the function of a union or connector therefor.

Mounted upon the head or cover plate 9 is a valve or cut-ofl comprising a plate 14L, having portions 15 and 16 approximately circular in form to conform substantially to the con tour of the two caps and connected by an intermediate web or reduced portion 17. The portion 15 of the valve-plate is provided with an upwardly-bent member or element 18, having a terminal linger-piece 19 and adapted to normally lie above the discharge-outlets 10 of the receptacle 2 to permit the contents of said receptacle to be discharged without actuating the valve. The result of the formation of this upwardly or angularly bent portion 18 is to provide a bend or angle at the center of the portion 15 to form a fulcrum on which the valve is adapted to rock, so that by pressing downward on the upwardly-bent member 18 through the medium of the finger-piece 19 the discharge-apertures 10 may be closed and the portion 16 of the valve member raised to expose the discharge-apertures 11 of the container 3, thus preventing the discharge of the contents of container 2 while a portion of the contents of container 3 is being shaken out. Extending through the said fulcrum portion of the valve or cut-off are fastenings 20, preferably in the form of split pins which pass downward through apertures in the plate and corresponding apertures in the cover-plate 9 and are bent or spread upon the under side of the latter to prevent their extraction. The upper portions of these fastenings are formed into eyes which receive the ends of a rod or pin 21, forming a support for a coiled spring 22, which spring has its coils or convolutions wound about said rod or pin and the ends thereof bearing, respectively, upon the upper portion of the valve 14 and the upper side of the head-plate or cover 9. The spring as thus mounted normally serves to hold that portion of the valve of which the valve member 16 forms a part down upon the cover-plate 9, so that the said portion 16 closes the dischargeapertures 11. VVl1en,however,the finger-piece 19 is pressed downward,the valve will be rocked upon its fulcrum against the resistance of said spring,so that the portion or member 18 of said valve will close the apertures 10 and the portion or member 16 will be raised and expose the apertures 11. From this construction it will be seen that the apertures 10 are normally open for the discharge of the contents of the receptacle 2, while those 11 of receptacle 3 are normally closed to prevent the discharge of the contents of the latter receptacle. The larger container 2 is designed to contain salt and the container 3 pepper for table or kitchen use, and it will be observed that by the described construction of the valve the discharge-apertures of the vessel containing the most commonly-used condiment are left open, so as to permit the salt to be discharged without actuating the valve, while the contents of vessel 3, which are not so commonly used, may be discharged only upon the opening of the valve member 16. This obviates the necessity of opening the valve each time it is desired to obtain a portion of the contents of the vessel 2, and thus si m plilies the operation of the device of shaking out the condiment in common and frequent use. When it is desired to replenish the receptacles 2 and 3, said receptacles are disconnected by first turning the receptacle 3 to unscrew it from its cap 5 and then compressing the band 6 about the container 2 to distend it, so that the container 3 may be readily disconnected from its containing-groove '7, after which the plate 9 of vessel 2 is turned to disconnect the cap 1 from said vessel 2. The necks of the two vessels or receptacles are then open, so that they may be replenished with the substances or materials, and then said vessels may be connected by a reversal of the operations previously describedthat is, by first turning the cap 12 on the neck 2, then compressing the band 6 to distend it, then sliding the receptacle 3 into the groove 7, and finally turning said receptacle to bring its neck portion into engagement with the screw-cap 13.

It will of course be understood that the holder or container, whether constructed in form of a single vessel with a partition forming compartments therein or in the form of independent vessels connected as described, may be made of glass, porcelain, metal, or any other suitable material and that other changes in the form, proportion, and details of construction of the parts may be made as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A device of the character described comprising two independent containers, one of said containers being provided with a seatrecess, and the other being tapered and adapted to seat in said recess, a head-plate closing the mouths of both containers and provided with screw-threaded caps engaging the same, said plate being provided with sets of apertures communicating with the containers, a clasp holding the containers in assembled relation, a valve pivoted upon the exterior of the head and having portions, one normally closing and the other normally leaving open the coacting apertures, and means for tilting the valve to open the closed portion and close the opened portion, substantially as described.

2. A container havingcompartments, a headplate closing both compartments and having apertures communicating therewith, a valve mounted upon the head-plate and consisting of a strip of material having portions to respectively govern said apertures, said strip being bent between said portions to provide a rocking fulcrum, thus disposing one portion of the strip to normally close the apertures of one compartment, and the other portions of 5 the strip to normally leave open the apertures of the other compartment, the latter-named portion being provided With a finger-piece whereby the valve may be rocked on its fulcrum, attaching elements fixed to the head- IO plate and projecting through the fulcrum portion of the valve, a pin carried by said attaching elements, and a coiled spring, said spring having one end bearing upon the upper end 01 the valve and the other end bearing upon the head-plate, and serving to hold the valve with 5 its portions in the stated position, to adapt the valve to be rocked upon its fulcrum, and return the valve When released to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 20 presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH H. FULTON.

\Vitnesses:

J. A. MooREHEAD, D. L. DEPP. 

